Garment supporter



Jan. 20, 1931. c, N'

' GARMENT SUPPORTER Filed llay 20,1930

@348 my flu N OR 72744, M 5' ATTORNEY Fig. 2 is a side View of a portion of the supv porter;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and V I Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan View illustrating the maner in which the fabric is woven to re inforce the openings therein.

. Referring-now to the drawings, the supporteris illustrated as including a strap 10.0f elastidwebbing having edge portions .11 J of greater thicknessthan the central longitudinal portion 12. Preferably and for convenience in manufacture, the portions 11 are formed of two-ply material while the central portion 12 is of single-ply material. This strap isfolded upon itself'to'provide a loop 13, thefabric passingthrough an eye 1 at the 'end' of a garment-engaging member 15 of standardconstruction. This member is looselysuspended in the loop and it includes a button 16 and aloop. 17 of thecustomary form. v V I:

v In order to permit the adjustment of the length oftheloop'end of the overallilength of the supporter, the strap is formed with a plu-. rality of openings 18 disposed in a lengthwise row-in the central portion thereof. 'Mounted on one face ofthe strap and secured to'the central portion is a fastening element 19 which is receivable in any selected opening.

This fastening element preferably takes the form of a relatively thin flat button, the diam: eter of which is less than the widthof the central portion of the strap. When the button is received in an opening 18, it lies spaced inwardly fromthe thick marginal portions of the strap with its top below the plane of the I upper surface of the strap. .The button is,

therefore, protected and does not protrude in such a way as tocatch onother-garments. Also, when the supporter isused for supporting the back of a. stocln'ng, the presence of the button does not cause discomfort to-the wearer when seated since the top' ofthe button does not projectabove the plane of the upper surfaces of the marginal po'rtionsof the strap. Preferably the button is made of yielding material such as rubber'so that it will bend readily and not cause discomfortQ In orderto'reinforce the openingsso as-to prevent tearing out of theflatteror gaping which would permit the button'to become unfastened, the central portion: .of the fabric :is woven in:accordance with the construction illustrated in Fig. 4:. Thefabric-is provided with spaced warp strands. 20 of rubber lying equal distances on opposite sides ofkthe median-line of the fabric and separated by other warp strands 21. Attheend of a buttonhole opening 18,the strands20 are'drawn toward each other and crossed, as indicated at' 22, so that each strand defines'one. side of thebuttonholeopening. Throughoutrthelength of such portions of the "elastic strands, as are crossed in the manner: described, thefilling threads 23 extend only from one edge of the fabric to and around the strand 20 at one side of the opening. At the opposite end of the opening, the strands'20 are recrossed so that beyond the opening, these strands occupytheir normal spaced relation;

lVith this arrangement, it will be observed that the edges of each buttonhole are defined, primarily by the elastic warp strands 20.

ing, there are two strands to assume the strain. and each of these strands isof resilientmatea rial so that ripping ofthe fabric at the ends of. the buttonholes is prevented-. Since theedges.

of .the buttonholesare defined by the resilient strands, the fabric can yield along theseedges butithe edges tend to return to normal relation when the strain relaxed, Accordingly; the buttonholes do not become permanentlystretched: or distorted in such a way that the buttonv may he accidentally freed1;f r0m the; buttonhole while-the supporter is inuse It will be, observed that in the newsuporter the metal-ad'ustin means now commonly employed is entirely dispensed. with and the adjustment is provided by the fastening element and the openings.- These-openings can be readily formed in-the fabric duringfthe weaving thereof and the button and the attaching-of it to the fabric are inexpen sive. gThe supporter is capable of adjustment to the desired degreeand when the supporter is to be washed,the loop maybe opened andthe garment-engaging member which in eludes-metal parts may be remQvedqIn-the ordinary ,garment supporter in which a metal-adjusting device is employed, the garment-engaging member cannot be remoyed from the supporterwith'outiconsiderable difficulty. The new 'supporter,therefore. offers all-30f thea vantages ofthe prior construction and feliminatesZ the disadvantages thereof.-, I, V. [What I claimis: 3

1. In a garment supporter, aigarment-en gaging I member, a strap formed withia loop in which said member is loosely mountedpthe strap having marginal portions of greater one side of the loop ,engageable at willin any opening in said strap at the joth'erside of the loop for-varying the length of the loo,p, sai d' fastening means having an overallwidth less than thatfofsaid central portion whereby said fastening means may lie between said thickg 120 thickness than the longitudinal-central porened marginal portions at'either side of the opening with which it is engaged.

2. In a garment supporter, a garment-engaging member, a strap formed witha loop in which said member is loosely mounted, the

strap having marginal portions of greater thiclmess than the longitudinal central portion and having a plurality of openings in said central ortion spaced lengthwiseof said strap, and astening means attached to the central portion of the strap at one side of the loop engageable at will in any opening in said strap at the other side of the loop for varying the length of theloop, said fastening means having an overall width less than the width of said central portion, and said openings being spaced from the edges of said marginal portions a distance greater than half the width of said fastening means, whereby said fastening means may lie between said marginal portions at either side of the opening with which it is engaged. I

3. In a garment supporter, a garment-engaging member, a strap passing loosely through an opening in the member and bent back upon itself to form a loop, said'strap having marginal portions of greaterthickness than thecentral longitudinal portion and having a plurality of spaced openingslength wise of the strap through said central por tion and substantially along the median line thereof, and a fastening element attached to the strap atone side of the loopand;having a portion receivable at will in any selected 1 opening in the strap at the other side of the loop to vary thelength of the loop, the overall width of said portion of the element being less than the width of said central longitudinal portioniof the strap; c 4. In a garmentsupporter, a strap of elastic fabric formedwith a loop, the fabric having marginal portions thicker than the central longitudinal portion and [having reinforced buttonholes in said central portion in a. longitudinal row, a fastening element secured to the strap on one side of the loop and having a portion receivable at will in any of said buttonholes in the strap at the other side of the loop to vary the length of'the loop, said portion of the element'having an overall width less than the width of said central lonj gitudinal portion of the strap, and a garment-engaging member suspended from the loop.

5. In a garment supporter, a strap of elasthe loop, said portionof the fastening device having a width less than the width of said portion of the strap of single thickness.

6. In a garment supporter, a strap of fabric having marginal portions ofrelatively great thickness and a central longitudinal portion of relatively less thickness, the fabric having elastic warp threads in the central portion-thereof crossed at intervals to define openings, a fastening element secured in an opening spaced therefrom to form a loop, said portion of the element having an overall width less than the width of the central portion of said fabric and a garment-en- 1- gaging member suspended from said loop. I

'into'any selected opening to form a loop, and

a garment-engaging 7 member suspended. from said loop. v

8, In a garment supporter, a strap of elastic fabric having marginal portions of greater thickness than the central; longitudinal portion, :the fabric having elastic warp strands in said centralportion crossed atintervals to define elongated openings, each strand defining one side of an opening and the pair of crossed strands providing a reinforcement at the ends thereof, and abutton 7 to the strap and havmg a portlon recelvable attached to'said strap and receivable into any selected opening therein to form a loop.

9. Ina garment supporter,a fabric strap having a relatively thin central longitudinal portion and marginal'portio'ns of increased thickness, the fabric of the strap. having a row of openings in said 'central'portions, which openings are defined at-the ir ends-by crossed. warp threads, and a fastening element' attached to said strap and having a portion receivable optionally in anyof said openings to form a loop, the width of said portion of the element being less than the width of the'cen'tral portion of said strap, and a garment engagingmember suspended from said loop.

RICHARD 'C. FAGAN. V

tic fabric having marginal portions of double thickness and a central longitudinal "portion of single thickness and having a rowof open= ings in said central portion, said strap being bent to form a loop, a garment-engaging member suspended from the loop, and a fastening device secured to the single thickness 7 portion of the strap at one side. of the loop and having a portionreceivable in any select ed opening inthe strap to vary the length of In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature. 

